


Daughter of the Night

by Nekoamamori



Series: Child of Darkness [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-07-29 07:25:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16259453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekoamamori/pseuds/Nekoamamori
Summary: Direct sequel to Child of DarknessAdianna is finally free of the vampire who ruled her life. Now she must adjust to a normal life and her new responsibilities as Queen of the vampires. Will life ever be normal with responsibilities to both the shapeshifters and the vampires?





	1. Chapter 1

“Adi, c’mon! We have to get going!” Hunter yelled up the stairs. “If we don’t leave soon, we’re never going to make it to the unicorns’ territory before dark!”

“Just a minute. I just have one more report to write for Sanguis!” I called back down the stairs. I heard clomping footsteps on the stairs and sighed. I hurriedly typed out the conclusion to my report to Sanguis and emailed it to him. Hunter appeared in my doorway as I was closing my laptop and packing it in my bag to take with us. Hunter was taller than me, with dark blond hair. He was well-muscled from years of training to hunt and fight vampires. I’d seen him enough times without a shirt to verify that it was a very pleasant view.

“You just had a meeting with Sanguis and all of the vampire leaders to make sure that they’ll be able to rule without you for a few weeks,” Hunter reminded me, overly patiently. I nodded.

“Sorry, I forgot to tell him about the vampire kids who are attending classes on campus this year,” I smiled up at him. “But I’m ready now. Is Lily going to be okay with you being gone so long?” I asked him. Lily had been rescued from the vampire who had owned her for years a couple of months ago, at the same time that I had taken my place as the rightful Queen of the vampires. She was still adjusting to being free. So was I. That same vampire had taken me for a slave and abused me for four years. Life on the outside was still an adjustment.

“She said she’ll be fine. She’s going to be staying in the girls’ dorm with Paige,” Hunter explained. Usually Lily lived in the misfit house with us and a few of our friends who didn’t fit in in the dorms. “It’ll be better for her not to be living here without more female companionship.” I nodded. With me gone, and the unicorn girl already gone home to visit her family, the only female who lived in the house was Bree, a werewolf who stayed in wolf form almost exclusively. A vampire also lived with us, so it wouldn’t be a good situation for Lily.

“That’s probably a good plan,” I agreed. I stood and grabbed my laptop bag and purse. The rest of my things for the trip were already in Hunter’s car. I was tempted to check my email again, to open my laptop back up and make sure Sanguis got my message. Hunter stopped me with a look.

“They’ll be fine for a few weeks, and you can get messages on your phone,” he reminded me, still too patiently. He offered me his hand. “We really do need to get going,” he said gently. I nodded and took his hand. He took my laptop bag from me. I didn’t argue. He liked to do things like that. I was going to have to protest more when classes started in a few of weeks. I took Hunter’s offered hand and we walked downstairs together.

Bree was waiting for us at the door, as was the vampire Sebastian who lived with us. I petted Bree when we got to her. “Bye Bree, you take good care of Sebastian for us while we’re gone. We’ll be back before school starts,” I reminded her.

“Are you sure you must go, my Queen?” Sebastian asked. I turned to face him. He was one of the Untainted, a holyman among the vampires. Even though I was Queen now, he still insisted on keeping to tradition and wearing robes and even gloves so he wouldn’t become contaminated by touching humans, or his queen.

I nodded to Sebastian. “I must. I’m not just the Queen of the vampires. I need to make this journey before classes start and I get too tied down with human responsibilities. Each of the shifter tribes has sent representatives over the summer asking me to come meet them. They think I’m some mythical savior.” I didn’t believe that nonsense, but they believed it so wholeheartedly that I couldn’t deny their requests. I also wanted to see more of the country. I hadn’t seen anything but a few rooms in four years until a couple of months ago. “I’ll have my phone, I won’t be out of touch, and Hunter is going with me. I’ll be perfectly safe,” I reminded him. Again.

“Very well, my Queen,” he replied with a bow.

I took Hunter’s hand again, my goodbyes said, and we walked hand-in-hand to the parking lot behind the house where his car was parked. I had gotten my license last month as an emancipated minor. I didn’t have a car of my own yet. I didn’t need one, but at least Hunter wouldn’t have to do all of the driving for this trip. Hunter put my laptop bag on the backseat of the car and opened my car door for me. I stood up on my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

“Thank you for coming with me,” I told him. He grinned and leaned down to kiss me properly. It was a gentle, chaste kiss. We were still taking things slowly. He was so patient with me, and careful not to push farther than I was comfortable with. He knew everything I had been through for the last four years.  Which had included rape and torture.  

He didn’t press further than I was comfortable with.

“Of course I’m coming. Like I’d trust anyone else with my girlfriend’s safety,” he mock grumbled. I laughed and climbed into the car. He closed the door behind me and went around the car to get into the driver’s side. “Ready?” he asked. I nodded.

“Let’s go see the unicorns,” I grinned, excited to go see them. So excited that the unicorn horn that was my legacy from the unicorn species, grew from my otherwise human head. I sighed. This was another reason for our trip. I could usually control my ability to shift into my hybrid form. It was a form considered monstrous by the humans, but the shifters all seemed to think it was further proof I was their awaited savior. It was my normal human shape, thin girl with long red hair, but with cat ears, avian wings, a wolf tail, and unicorn horn. When I got excited, though, I lost control of the shifter features. I also couldn’t shift into full forms from any of the tribes. Hunter, our teacher Maester Wright, and I hoped that this trip and these visits to the shifter communities would help with that as well.

I focused on my human form and managed to get the unicorn horn to go away. It seemed like it was getting harder to control the shifter parts of me. I hoped this trip really would help. Hunter turned on the radio before he carefully pulled out of his parking spot and our journey began.


	2. Chapter 2

We made it to the unicorn territory just before dark. Hunter was looking anxious as we approached. Their territory was off the beaten path, in a small village in the woods. This was only one such unicorn settlement in the country, but was one of the larger settlements. There was a guard station at the entrance to the village. Two buff unicorn men came out of the guard station when we pulled up and I quickly shifted my unicorn horn. I figured that would help us get in with fewer issues.

“Greetings, stranger,” the guard greeted Hunter, then he saw me. “Sister,” he inclined his head. “What is your business in our village?” he demanded that of Hunter.  ‘Stranger’ was not a good title to the unicorns.

“Greetings Brother,” I stepped up to speak. Hunter was a friend of the unicorns, but I was one of them. He wisely let me do the talking on this one. “I am Adianna Kincaid, sister of the unicorns.” I was going to choose a new last name for myself. I didn’t have to live with the one from the foster parents I’d lived with until I was 12. They had only raised me because Maester Wright decided I was safer hiding among the humans. They had been bewitched into it, and I never really felt like they were true family. My real parents were vampires and didn’t have a proper last name. “I was invited here to visit and learn more about my people. This is Hunter Blair, friend of the unicorns.”

The guard nodded. “You are expected, Sister Adianna, Friend Hunter. Please proceed to the hotel in the center of town. Follow the main road and you can’t miss it. One of Queen Anastasia’s people will meet you there.” He went back in the guard station and we drove in to town. There were unicorns milling around in every state of shift possible, from full unicorn to full human and everything in between. Hunter drove slowly through town, as kids were playing in the street. It was obvious there weren’t many visitors here. We pulled into a parking spot at the small inn in the middle of town. We got out of the car and stretched. It had been a long ride. We had been driving all day except for bathroom breaks and a stop at a fast food place for lunch.

“Sister Adianna! Friend Hunter. You’re here!” A voice called from the door to the inn. We both whirled to face the person. It was Larissa. She was a unicorn who came to find me a few months ago. She lived in the misfit house with us and had come home to visit.

“Sister Larissa,” I replied, relaxing from the unconscious fighting stance I had fallen into. Working with Hunter, Paige and the other vampire hunter students over the last three months had given me some habits and skills. All I had done all summer was study. I had to study to catch back up on school subjects I had missed while enslaved to Kieran as well as to get some skill to be able to protect myself, and catch up on pop culture I missed. It was hard work and I was glad for the break for the last few weeks of summer to go visit the shifter tribes.

“Welcome to my home. Queen Anastasia will be meeting with you and Friend Hunter tonight for dinner. I’ll show you to your rooms.” Hunter and I followed her into the small inn. Larissa led us upstairs to two rooms next to each other. She handed me the key for one room and Hunter the keys for the other. “I’ll come back to lead you to dinner. Feel free to relax or tour the town until then.” She left us alone with that. I opened the door to my room to check it out and Hunter did the same. The room was gorgeous and looked out on to a courtyard. I was also glad that Hunter was right next door. It was a comfort to know he would be close. I knew logically that I was perfectly safe among the unicorns, but years of experience had let me to be wary about anywhere that wasn’t home. My home was surrounded by the most powerful shielding and safety precautions that master mages could create. I hadn’t realized when Hunter and I planned this trip how much I would miss those protections.

I left the room after my preliminary review of it and tapped lightly on Hunter’s open door. I wouldn’t enter his room without permission, at least not without a good reason. He looked over at me and smiled. “The rooms are nice,” I told him. He nodded.

“That they are. I’m going to head down to get our bags, do you want to come or stay up here?” he asked.

“I’ll come. Can’t let you carry all of them yourself.” Hunter rolled his eyes at that. He was a werewolf and a trained warrior. He was perfectly capable of carrying a few bags up the stairs. I grabbed his hand as soon as he was close enough. He gave me a quizzical look. I shook my head. I wasn’t ready to explain my insecurity. He kissed the top of my head and we walked down together to get our bags. Hunter let me carry the one with my laptop, but insisted on carrying the rest of them himself. I didn’t fight him on it. I did walk behind him to watch his back on the way up the stairs and back to our rooms.

/Are you sensing danger?/ he asked me telepathically.

/No, just uneasy. It’s the first time I’ve been away from home since Kieran.../ I explained, my hand on the knife in the sheath I carried. It was a gift from Hunter when I passed the first level apprentice vampire hunter exams last month.

/We can put shields on the rooms if that will make you more comfortable/ He offered. I knew what it cost him to make that offer. We were here diplomatically and putting shields on our rooms would tell our hosts that we didn’t trust their protection.

/I’ll be fine without them. We have to trust the unicorns./

Hunter dropped my bag off in my room and went to drop off his in his own room. I opened my laptop and found the little card on the desk with the wifi info. I had to check messages. I hated leaving the vampires alone without being in easy contact. I was still a new queen and I knew there was a group that didn’t agree with the things I was enforcing in my rule. I had a message from Sanguis insisting that everything was fine and he could rule without me for a few weeks. I was going to have to figure out how to get the rebels on my side quickly or there was going to be trouble. That was a problem for another day, though. Sanguis would keep them in line for me until I got back.

All I really wanted to do was sleep. I still needed to heal from my own trauma of being enslaved. It had only been a couple months, and I knew I was doing surprisingly well given what I’d been through, but there were still days I couldn’t stand the touch of my boyfriend, and nights I woke the entire house with my horrible nightmares of things I had endured at Kieran’s hands. I still fought to not cower in front of strangers and harsh words could send me spiraling into depression and regression. On top of that I had to learn to control my magic and shifting abilities, and learn how to rule all of the vampires. It was too much so fast, but I had no choice.

“Adi, are you ok?” Hunter asked from my doorway. I blinked quickly and looked over at him. “You’ve been staring at your computer without moving for awhile now,” he told me gently. I noticed his hands were in his pockets, completely nonthreatening. I nodded and waved him in to the room.

“Just thinking,” I told him. He came in the room and sat on the bed.

“Anything I can help with?” he asked. I shook my head.

“There’s just a lot going on,” I told him. He nodded.

“I can’t even imagine what you’ve been going through. I’m here for you if you need anything.” I nodded and moved to sit next to him on the bed. I laid my head on his shoulder, taking strength from him and comfort that he was here and smelled like pack. He was safe and I loved him. “Do you want to stay here, maybe take a nap? Or do you want to check out the town?” he asked.

“We should check out the town,” I replied softly.

“That’s not what I asked,” he grumbled. I smiled and even gave him a small laugh.

“I want to check out the town, but in a little bit. Maybe a short nap first?” I asked him softly. He kissed the top of my head.

“Do you want me to stay?” I nodded. He moved to sit against the headboard and opened his arms for me. I curled myself in to his arms, laying my head on his chest. He pet my hair while I worked to relax. This was my idea after all. It always took me a minute to relax, even with him. Hunter was patient, though, and let me work through things and work at my own pace. I may never be completely physical with him. I hoped he would accept that. I had heard horror stories about boyfriends who rejected girls who wouldn’t sleep with them. I didn’t think Hunter was like that, though. He was warm and safe and smelled of pack and the woods and werewolves. He was comforting and made no moves besides to run his hand over my hair until I dozed off in his arms.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Wake up, Adi,” Hunter shook me gently, his voice soft and gentle. I was still instantly awake and nearly panicked, my knife in my hand. He stayed still while I got my bearings and remembered where we were. He frowned. “Are you sure we shouldn’t put up shields? You’re not usually this on edge at home. I’m sure the unicorns would understand...” he didn’t sound sure. I shook my head and sat up.

“I’ll be fine. I’m sure the unicorns will help keep us safe.” I slid my knife back in its sheath. He didn’t look convinced, but didn’t argue anymore.

“I’ll still check with Larissa and see what the protocol is.” I nodded. That was fair. It couldn’t hurt to ask. “The reason I woke you is that we should get going if we want to check out the town before dinner,” I nodded again and stood and stretched. I made sure I had my phone and my werewolf bodyguard, aka my boyfriend, before I was willing to leave the relative safety of the inn. I made sure my unicorn horn was out before we left the inn too. I would be accepted at least. The unicorns would recognize me as one of them.

I was surprised when we stepped out of the inn to see not only unicorns, but also centaurs, satyrs, and even a pegasus. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I knew that the unicorns ruled over all of the hoofed shifters. Some of them were giving us wary looks, especially to Hunter.

/Grow your wings/Hunter told me telepathically. He rarely said anything to me that was a direct order. I tended to have bad reactions to such things. I always paid attention when he did. /Alicorns are their royalty. They’ll recognize who you are in your hybrid form, but if you don’t want to go advertising that at least let them see your wings. They’ll give us less trouble if they think you’re royalty/I did as he suggested and grew my wings. They were feathered angel wings, a reddish gold color that went down to my feet and were capable of allowing me to fly, even though I couldn’t shift all the way to bird.

Instantly, we saw the wary shifters relax. They even bowed to us as we walked past to tour the town. The town was simple, a few shops, a couple of restaurant, the school, plenty of parks for the shifters to play in. There was a big mansion at one end of the village which I assumed belonged to the queen.

Larissa came running up to us while we were in one of the shops looking over the hand crafted shinies inside. “Sister Adi! How are you liking the town?”

“It’s gorgeous,” I replied with a smile. Spending time with the unicorns was relaxing. They were all so welcoming, to me at least. It was also extremely easy to know where you stood with them. They had honorifics for everyone they encountered. I only knew some of them, since I hadn’t spent a lot of time studying their culture. They used ‘sister’ or ‘brother’ for fellow unicorns, ‘friend’ for someone they trusted and liked, and ‘not-friend’ for enemies.

“That’s great to hear! Dinner’s soon. You guys should head back to the inn to get ready,” Larissa told us. She walked us back to the inn herself. Hunter and I didn’t mind the company. She pointed out landmarks of the town as we walked back to the inn. She pulled me aside when we were inside the inn. “I suggest you go in hybrid form. Everyone knows who you are, and you don’t want to look like you’re trying to steal the unicorn kingdom from the queen,” I nodded. “I’ll wait here, you two go get ready,” she shooed us upstairs. Hunter and I went upstairs to get ready.

This was a formal dinner, so I had to wear a dress. I hated dresses. /Are you ok with this?/ Hunter asked.

/I’ll be fine/ I replied. I got ready quickly. I wasn’t one for a ton of makeup or doing anything complicated with my hair. The dress I wore was floor length and dark green. It would be considered a true evening gown if it wasn’t missing most of the back to accommodate my wings and wolf tail. I also had to wear heels with the stupid thing. I had spent a month with Paige over the summer learning how to walk in the stupid things. I still wasn’t very good at it. I knew that in a dress, I wasn’t going to be able to fight. I would have to trust Hunter to be my bodyguard. I hoped he wouldn’t have to be.

I left my room to find Hunter in a full suit waiting for me just outside the door. I smiled when I saw him. “You look beautiful,” he told me. I blushed and looked down, still unable to accept compliments. He leaned down and kissed my cheek, then offered me his arm. “Shall we?” I placed my hand on his offered arm and walked with him downstairs to where Larissa was waiting for us. She squeed about how great we looked and led us to the mansion for dinner with the queen.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a short walk to the mansion from the inn. I was grateful it wasn’t far. I didn’t want to, and couldn’t, walk terribly far in heels. Hunter supported me and helped me keep my balance as it was. Larissa led us to dinner, chatting animatedly about the town and it’s history. I was too focused on not tripping over my own two feet to pay much attention.

The mansion was bigger than it looked from the outside and was just as gorgeous as I had imagined. The queen herself was there to greet us when we entered. I dipped a curtsy to her and Hunter bowed as the formal introductions were made. “Rise, daughter. If you truly are who you say, I should be bowing to you, not the other way around,” she said. Her words sounded pleasant, but I caught an undertone of something less that I didn’t quite understand. I rose from my curtsy and looked her over, just as she was looking me over, evaluating me.

“What do you mean, if I am who I say I am, lady?” I asked her. I couldn’t force myself to call her ‘milady’, not unless she insisted on proper protocol. I hoped she wouldn’t. She knew my story as well as all of the other shifters. The tale had spread far and wide over the summer. It wasn’t my doing and no one knew how it happened, but the story had spread. I hoped that would buy me some leniency when it came to my rude behavior. Hunter had stood from his bow and had moved to stand at my side.

“How are we to know that you are the Daughter of Dreams?” she asked, warily. I knew that unicorns were wary by nature, but this seemed a bit unrealistic, even for them.

“Have you ever known a shifter to be able to take more than one shifter form?” I asked her, truly curious. I had never heard of such a thing, but I had been sheltered. She thought about it for a moment, but finally shook her head.

“I have never heard of such a thing,” she finally admitted.

“My Queen, you know what our tales say of the Daughter of Dreams,” Larissa prompted. The Queen sighed, but dutifully recited:

“The Daughter of Dreams shall come to us, a unicorn but not, a sister of our souls. She is loved by all of the shifters and is child to all of them. You shall know her by the marks of all the tribes upon her. Cherish her, for she shall save the world,”

I hadn’t heard this prophecy about me before and I committed the words to memory while I was dumbstruck by the words. I couldn’t believe what she was saying. I shook off my stupor. “I don’t know about all of that,” I told her with a smile. “My name is Adianna Kincaid. As you can see, I do count myself among the many shifter tribes. I am journeying to meet the various tribes to learn more about my heritage and their cultures. I thank you for allowing me to visit your kingdom and learn more about your people,” I told her formally. I had memorized my speech before making this trip.

“I welcome you, Daughter,” she replied, finally warming up to me, now that she seemed to accept that I was who I said I was.

“Dinner is served,” one of the servants announced.

“Wonderful timing,” the queen told the servant. “Come, let us eat.” We followed the servants and her into the dining room. We were granted seats of honor. I was seated next to the queen, who was at the head of the table, with Hunter on my right. Directly across from us were two alicorn boys around my own age. “These two young men are two of our finest alicorn nobles. Colton and Jayden. They wished to make your acquaintance,” she told me after we were all seated and the first course was served.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I told them, a little stiffly. I had a feeling I knew what this was and I wanted no part of it. I touched Hunter’s leg under the table for reassurance. He gave me a smile.

/Just be pleasant to them. You don’t have to agree to anything you don’t want/he reminded me.

“At least one of these two young men will be travelling to Springfield to attend St. Hubert’s in the fall. I hoped you would be able to meet them before that time so they would at least have some friendly faces on campus,” I nodded, but didn’t know what to say to these strange boys. Hunter started asking them questions about video games or something that I knew nothing about. I was glad he saved me from having to try to start a conversation. They kept trying to pull me into conversation, though. I forced myself to believe they were just being friendly. I told them about what I had been studying over the summer and the books I had been devouring.

I also made the mistake of telling them I had passed the first level apprentice exams. Hunter and I explained the vampire hunter training course at St. Hubert’s in more detail. “You’re learning to fight?” one of the boys, I couldn’t tell them apart, asked incredulously. I looked up, shocked.

“Of course,” I replied, with Hunter nodding his agreement next to me.

“I have never heard of a Lady learning to fight,” the other boy added, but he sounded must more open to the idea. “Among the unicorns, the males are the protectors,”

“We all felt that after everything that Adi has been through, all of us felt it would be best if she knew at least how to protect herself until help could arrive,” Hunter explained to them. The boy who was open to the idea nodded.

“That makes sense. There is no dishonor in a Lady knowing how to protect her honor until her guard can arrive,” he admitted. “I could see that being quite useful,” he thought about it for a moment longer. “I think that might be a good suggestion for our ladies, even if they gain no more skill than to hold an attacker off until help can arrive,”

It was strange to be sitting at a table full of shapeshifters, especially with everyone having unicorn horns out. Though I noticed at the end of the table the centaurs were standing in centaur form instead of shifting to human. I was used to everyone hiding what they were among the humans.

Dinner ended after way too many courses and way too many hours. “Colton and Larissa will be teaching your our culture and magic while you’re here,” the queen told me after she had dismissed everyone to leave. I nodded and dipped another curtsy to her.

“Very good, Lady,” I told her. Colton stood and walked us back to the inn. I was disappointed that he was coming with us. I was hoping to kick off my shoes. I couldn’t do that in front of strangers.

I was dreaming of taking my shoes and this stupid dress off when my thoughts were interrupted by a girl screaming. The sound came from the entrance to the village. Without even thinking about it, I kicked off my shoes and ran toward the sound, determined to help if I could. Hunter was right beside me. Colton followed us a moment later, trying to get me to stop. I wouldn’t stop if someone was in danger and I could help.


	5. Chapter 5

When I made it to the closed gate, I saw a little alicorn girl running towards the gate on the other side with a centaur girl and a unicorn boy right behind her. “Open the gate!” Hunter yelled at the guard on duty. The guard shook his head sadly.

“I can’t. The gates are sealed at sundown. All of our young know this.” I saw the shield embedded in the gates and around the village. I could have forced my way through the shield through sheer magical strength, but that would take too much time. I looked up and saw where the shield ended. It wasn’t a dome, and just went a foot or so above the gate.

“Give me a boost,” I told Hunter. I could have flown it without the boost, but it would be faster with Hunter’s help. Hunter saw what I did and moved into position. I took a few steps back. Colton was watching us in confusion, but I couldn’t deal with him right now. The kids had reached the gate. They were terrified and banging on the gate begging to be let in.

I took a running start and leapt, landing in Hunter’s cupped hands, my wings curled tightly to my back. He hurled me into the air with his enhanced werewolf strength. I opened my wings when I had risen above the shield and a couple of wing flaps took me safely to the other side. I landed between the kids and whatever was following them.

“Help us,” the girl pleaded as all three kids came over to hug me. They were terrified.

“What’s wron-” I cut off when I felt the vampires coming. They were outside my range of influence, but I could feel them. I turned to the girl. “Can you fly?” I asked her. She nodded. I pointed at the gate. “Up and over, now,” I barked out the order to her. I was getting these kids out of danger. I could be brave to save others. I’d never been good at saving myself... Colton was trying to get Hunter over the top of the shield.

“Colton, drop him, help me get the kids,” my flying skills were extremely limited.

Then the little centaur broke my heart. She pulled a sword from a sheath around the middle of the horse part of her body. “Save him,” she indicated the unicorn boy. She stepped out in front of me, prepared to fight. “Centaurs are protectors. We fight for the unicorns,”

I nodded at her determination. “I’ll take him first, but I will be back for you,” I told her. I grabbed the unicorn boy and unfurled my wings. I’d never tried to carry anyone before while flying. It took all of the effort I could get out of my wings to lift us both from the ground.

“C’mon Adi, you can do it,” Hunter called to me. Somehow he was perched on top of the gate, sitting on the shield. He was holding his hand out; he would take the unicorn boy from me. I struggled, but managed to get us high enough that I could pass the boy to Hunter, who dropped him carefully to Colton who was waiting on the other side with the alicorn girl.

I dropped back to the ground where the centaur girl was waiting, but we were out of time. The vampires, and their shifter minions had arrived. I threw a shield around the girl, and using magic, lifted the shield up to Hunter. It popped when he touched it and he grabbed the girl, handing her down to Colton while she cursed me.

“Adi!” Hunter yelled. I threw a skin-tight shield around myself as the tiger and wolf lunged for me, my knife already in my hand. I flapped my wings a couple of times, trying to escape the battle, but they were spent from saving the unicorn boy. I couldn’t get myself off the ground again. I dodged the first lunge of the tiger, narrowly missing its massive jaws. Hunter dropped down beside me, in wolf form to take on the other wolf. The tiger whirled to face me again, more wolves and even a centaur had come into the fray. The vampires were staying just outside my area of influence, but I could see them now.

“Bring us the girl,” the leader among the vampires ordered the shifters. Three of the wolves kept their attention on Hunter while the rest turned their attention to me. We were way outnumbered and none of the unicorns would come out of their village to help us. I wasn’t a good fighter yet either, and I couldn’t shift forms to a stronger one like Hunter could. I held off the attacks with my knife as long as I could, but it wasn’t long before I had been disarmed, my shields evaporated under their attacks. They had magic too. I didn’t go down without a fight, even when one of the tigers got his jaws around my leg. I threw up another shield quickly around my leg so it didn’t get snapped off, but that didn’t stop him from breaking it. “Bring it to us _alive_ ,” the vampire corrected at my howl of pain. The group had come prepared with magical chains to bind me with. The tiger held me to the ground while one of the wolves shifted back to human form to tie the chains around me. My wings were pinned to my back, my arms tied behind me. The centaur pulled me back upright, holding me against him with a knife to my throat.

“Tell your wolf to shift back to human and we’ll let him live,” the vampires ordered. I saw Hunter look over at me. He was bleeding and hurt from his battle. He snarled, but I nodded at him. We just had to hold out until the vampires got a little closer. They’d move in when they thought I was cowed. I slumped in the centaur’s grip, letting him hold me, my eyes cast down. Hunter shifted back to human, somehow conjuring pants as he did. Most shifters ended up naked when they shifted back to human.

“You aren’t nearly as powerful as they say. Kieran was weak to have lost you,” the vampire said as he strode closer. “I will be your master now, and I will be king of the vampires. Drop her,” he told the centaur. Let’s see what she remembers.” I fell hard on my broken leg, but gritted my teeth. I had been through worse. I dropped to my knees and bowed my head. It was awkward with a broken leg and my arms tied behind me, but I managed. I would manage, and I would survive this. “You will be my new pet. I am your master now,” he told me in a sticky sweet voice.


	6. Chapter 6

I wouldn’t let myself be enslaved again. No matter what this vampire said, no matter how outnumbered he thought we were. /Don’t worry,/ I told Hunter. I could feel his worry dripping off of him. He couldn’t help me from where he was. The vampire finally approached me, as well as his cronies. I reached for my vampire magic and found it quickly. I had had to practice bringing it up quickly over the last couple months. I did so now and threw it, capturing every vampire in the group.

“Call them off,” I ordered, looking up at the leader, glaring at him with my power flaring around me. He took a step back, but his mouth opened against his will and he gave the order for the shifters to stand down. Hunter rushed to my side and helped me to my feet, breaking the magical chains around me. “I am your queen. I will never be a slave again. Now why did you do this?” I demanded, letting Hunter hold me up.

“You have done nothing to help us and everything to help everyone else,” the vampire snarled at us.

“I _have_ been helping you,” I snarled back at him. “We need alliances with the other tribes before they hunt us to extinction. There are concessions we need to make to do that,” I growled at him.

“We have _never_ needed such things. The master vampires are going hungry because we cannot hold shifters as slaves,”

“All of the master vampires have been ordered to meet with Sanguis to learn the new protocols,” I reminded him. I had made that announcement last month. “There are shifters, just like there are humans, who will trade blood for vampire abilities, either protection, magic, or the euphoric properties of a vampire’s bite,” I added for the benefit of his minions.

“We shouldn’t have to work for our food,” the vampire replied. I sighed. I wasn’t getting anywhere with him.

“You will leave these people alone and report immediately to Sanguis for reeducation. I expect him to report to me within the next month on what your profession will be to earn your keep. The vampires are no longer free riding on the backs of the rest of the community,” I told him. “If these shifters who are with you are your slaves, I hereby free them, as per my ruling at the beginning of summer. You are dismissed.” The vampires turned and left, still grumbling, but they couldn’t fight my direct orders. The shifters left as well, scattering in different directions. I didn’t ask where they were going. It wasn’t my responsibility.

Hunter scooped me up in his arms the moment they were all gone. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I dropped all of my magic, including my hybrid form. My resolve and strength failed then and I sobbed into Hunter’s arms. He shhed and comforted me and let me cry. It was always so hard to be strong and be a queen, but interactions like tonight’s were even harder. I was drained by the fight and from fighting four years of torture to order vampires around. “C’mon love, let’s get you back inside the shields and healed up. You’ll feel better then.” I nodded and sniffled and laid my head on his shoulder, letting him take care of me now. He still had plenty of magic, so he used it to lift us over the shield and safely to the other side.

I felt better once we were behind the shields, even though I could feel Hunter’s anger at the unicorns who didn’t come help us. Colton was standing nearby with the kids, keeping them from rushing back over the shields to help us. “There are healers in the mansion and it’s the most heavily shielded building,” Colton told Hunter once he had walked a few steps from the shield. “I’ll walk you there. I’m taking these three troublemakers there too,” he glared at the kids, who at least all had the dignity to look ashamed. “You are injured, Friend. Would you like for me to carry Sister Adianna?” he asked Hunter formally. Hunter tightened his grip on me.

“She does not trust strange males. I will carry her,” he replied. I was relieved. I didn’t want to be separated from Hunter and I really didn’t want a strange male carrying me. It was hard enough letting Hunter after facing down the vampires.

“Of course,” Colton led us all to the mansion. He was keeping the alicorn girl next to him, making sure the little noble, or princess, couldn’t find any more trouble.

The trip back to the mansion was short, even with the kids trying to convince Colton to let them go. They didn’t want to face the queen for punishment. I didn’t blame them, but this was also their fault. Colton held the door to the mansion open for us. The queen and attendants were waiting just inside.

“Take the children to the conference room and make sure they stay there. I will deal with them shortly,” the queen ordered one of her attendants, who did as she was bid and herded the kids from the room. “Come, we have a room of healing,” the queen bid the rest of us. Hunter followed her through the mansion to one of the exam rooms. He set me on the bed there and I could finally see how hurt he was. He was covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Mostly cuts from the teeth and claws of the werewolves he had been fighting. I reached up to touch one on his bare chest. He took my hand before I touched the wound and kissed my fingertips.

“I’ll be ok,” he told me softly. He was shuffled aside when the healers, both unicorn women, came into the room. They got to work on me instantly. In moments, my pain had gone and I was floating in a fuzzy, hazy, dreamlike state where I didn’t notice the rest of how they were putting me back together. Once they had finished, they healed Hunter quickly. I was still floating in the drugged haze they had put me in while they were working on me.

“There’s a guest room upstairs you can stay in,” the queen offered.

“What’s going to happen to the kids?” I asked her, still hazy, and now exhausted from the healing.

“They’ll be punished for being out of bounds after dark. The standard punishment is 10 lashes with a switch for the centaur and the unicorn for endangering one of the alicorns, and community service. The alicorn will have twice the community service and extra lessons with me for a week reminding her of her duty to her people.” I couldn’t argue the punishments. They weren’t my people. “Ladies, get our guest up to bed,” the queen told the healers. They moved toward me to help me off of the hospital bed.

“No!” Hunter told them, but too late.

I was weakened, fuzzy headed, and freshly healed. I wasn’t thinking at all, and couldn’t reason out reactions. The two women put their hands on me to help me from the bed, trying to pull me to my feet. “NO!” I shrieked and my magic flared, out of control. Everything and everyone went flying away from me. Objects around the room circled around me, keeping me safe from being approached again.

“What’s going on?” the queen demanded of Hunter.

“She was tortured for four years. She’s weakened from the injuries and the healings and is probably too fuzzy brained from exhaustion and pain relief magic to tell the difference between strange people and the vampires who had hurt her. Her body and magic reacted to strangers touching her as if she’s in dire danger,” he explained, surveying the tornado of medical equipment around me, which was only gaining power as my magic spiraled further and further out of control. I sat in the middle of it, a huddled, frightened mess.

/Breathe, Adi. You’re safe/Hunter promised me as he took one step forward, then another, fighting his way through the tornado, shielding against the medical equipment attacking him. I tried to breathe, tried to fight through the haze and the panic. Hunter made it to the side of the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on to him too tightly for safety, protection, grounding. I took notice of his scent, how he smelled like safety and pack, like the forest and werewolves. He was real and muscled under my touch, but gentle as he rubbed my back and promised everything would be ok. A second later the tornado dissipated just as quickly as it had formed. I wilted in Hunter’s arms, drained of magic. He swept me back up into his arms.

“You’re safe,” he whispered in my ear. “It’s ok now. You can rest. I won’t let anything happen.” I tried to watch the crowd, to see their horrified faces at what they had just seen. They had thought I was their savior, their Chosen One. They forgot, or didn’t realize, that I was just a scared, broken little girl


	7. Chapter 7

Hunter stopped just down the hall from the healing room. “We’re going back to the inn and I’m putting up shields, protocol be damned. Do you want to walk?” he asked me, gentling his tone. I nodded and he carefully set me on my feet. “Careful, I don’t know where your shoes ended up,” I nodded again, too drained to say anything. I wrapped my arms around myself, as if that would protect me from the emotions inside of myself as I shrank into myself. “It’s ok, Adi, I promise,” he told me gently. “You’ve been through a lot, way, way more than anyone should ever have to deal with. They’ll understand. I don’t think they realized until tonight just how much you’ve suffered.” He summoned his suit jacket from wherever it had disappeared off to when he shifted to wolf and settled it over my shoulders. I smiled up at him.

“Thank you,” I murmured, fighting not to add ‘sir’ to the end of the sentence. I was really out of sorts tonight. I needed to get to bed and hopefully feel better once I was safe and could properly get some rest.

Hunter walked next to me the entire walk back to the inn. He kept his hands in his pockets, offering me no reason to fear him. I was grateful yet again for such an understanding boyfriend. He walked me all the way back to the door of my room. I opened the door, though it took a few tries to get the key in the lock. Hunter went to my suitcase and dug my pajamas out. He steered me to the bathroom. “Go change,” he told me, ordering because I was too tired to think for myself. I did as I was bid, changing into the fluffy safe pajamas. I crawled into bed when I was dressed, barely able to stay on my feet.

I tried to reach for my magic to make a shield, but it was just a flicker of power left. I couldn’t have lit a candle with it, much less created an effective shield. “I can’t make the shield,” I admitted softly. “Will you make it for me?” It took effort to ask him for the favor.

“I will,” he replied. “But you have to answer a question first: do you want me to stay?” It was a serious question. I wanted his safety, I wanted my boyfriend, but... I didn’t want to have to trust a male, not tonight, not when I was already weakened.

“Will you stay as wolf?” I asked him softly, compromising. His wolf form wouldn’t hurt me. He was safe and would keep me safe. He nodded.

“Of course,” I could hear the relief in his voice. He had wanted to stay to keep me safe, but he wouldn’t push and make me feel unsafe in the process. He drew up the shields around the room. I could feel the strength in them and finally felt I could relax. After the shields were up, he disappeared into the bathroom to shift forms. He knew I couldn’t deal with him being more naked than the shirtless he had already been. He came back in wolf form, a huge creature that was way bigger than a normal wolf. He leapt up lightly onto the bed and laid down next to me. I buried my fingers in his fur, clutching to my werewolf body guard until his warmth finally lulled me to a much needed sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

I woke near dawn to a burst of magic inside our shields. I sat up in a panic, reaching for my magic, just to find it wasn’t there. I reached for something, anything and my hand finally found my knife on the nightstand. Hunter had jumped off the bed and was standing between me and the magic spike, growling. A portal opened in front of him. I scrambled out of the bed. I’d never seen anything like this before and I couldn’t even defend myself or Hunter from it.

Hunter shifted back to human form in an instant, magically summoning pants in the same moment. It was a trick he had perfected over the summer, which I was grateful for. He had his sword in one hand and his magic flaring around the other.

The portal formed the rest of the way and a figure stepped through. I recognized him immediately. It was Carl. I relaxed. Carl was safe. He was one of our friends and housemates. He was also a werewolf and very gay, which made him extra safe in my eyes.

“Sorry to intrude,” Carl told us as Hunter vanished his sword. “Maester Wright sent me,”

“I should’ve known. He’s the only one I know of who could break through my shields, except maybe Adi on a good day.” The portal vanished while Hunter was talking. Carl saw me cowering with my knife in the corner of the room. I saw his face fall in an instant. He took a step towards me, slowly, carefully.

“What happened wolfling?” he asked me softly. He was an empath and could feel the emotions of everyone around him. I looked down, embarrassed. I couldn’t even get my own shields back up over my mind properly with my magic so out of whack. “What’s got you so upset? I haven’t seen you like this since right after Hunter rescued you.” His voice was warm and soft and caring. He opened his arms and I ran to him, dropping my knife. I held onto him, crying as I babbled about what had happened, about the horrible day we’d had. “Sounds to me like you saved three kids they couldn’t be bothered to help. Just because the kids broke the rules doesn’t mean they should be left outside of the shields to die by rouges. It also sounds like they didn’t listen to the warnings about your boundaries,” he added. “You can have bad days wolfling, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Every road to recovery is full of them.”

“Thank you,” I told him, stepping out of his arms and going to Hunter. Carl had a knack for saying exactly what someone needed to hear. It was one of his gifts as an empath. He was also learning to influence people’s emotions.

I went to Hunter and wrapped my arms around his bare waist. “Thank you too,” I told him, finally starting to feel back to myself. Hunter kissed the top of my head.

“I love you,” he whispered into my hair. I smiled, then made an eep when he scooped me up and set me on the bed. “You should be resting,” he mock scolded. I stuck my tongue out at him, but sat on the bed. He turned to Carl. “Not that I mind seeing you, but why are you here?” Hunter asked.

“Maester Wright sent me. He finally finished it and thought Adi should have it for the rest of the trip. I think he felt the magic burst from her earlier,”

“Finished what?” I asked them confused. I hadn’t heard that Maester Wright was making anything. Carl held up a pendant on a chain.

“A focus. It’s not a teaching tool we use all the time, but like I explained before, most mage students come to us as kids when their powers first manifest,” Hunter explained while Carl came over to me and handed me the focus. “It helps manage your powers and acts as a gateway. It’ll keep your magic from accidentally activating again like it did today. It’s just a tool until you get more control. I swear it’s not that you’re doing anything wrong,” he added hurriedly. “You just have a lot of magic, and trauma. Maester Wright thought this might help,”

“What if there’s a real emergency?” I asked him. “Or it gets lost or broken?” I didn’t trust this training wheel. I was tempted to just smash the thing now.

“If it breaks your magic goes back to the way it is now,” Hunter promised.

“I don’t like it. I can learn control on my own,” I promised, begging him. I didn’t like this thing and didn’t want to use it. “I don’t want this,” I told him, dropping the focus onto the bed.

“Adi-” Hunter started. I shook my head.

“I won’t. Please don’t try to make me. I had someone else controlling my magic for four years. I’m not going to let Maester Wright do it now.” Hunter looked like he wanted to argue.

“Adi, it’s not like that-” he tried. I shook my head again, more insistently.

“I’ll do what I have to to gain control, but I’m not going to let someone else, or some, _device_ control my magic for me,” I glared at him. I’d drain myself to the breaking point every day if that’s what it took. I wasn’t giving up my hard earned control of my own life.

“Maester Wright isn’t going to like this,” Carl told me gently. I nodded, but still looked down. I wasn’t looking forward to that fight later.

“I know, but I can’t and won’t use that thing,” I told them. I threw the focus on the ground and smashed it with the hilt of my knife until the jewel in it cracked and I could feel the magic in it breaking.

“That’s one way...” Carl said dryly.

“Can’t try to force me to use it if it’s broken,” I grumbled at them.

“If it means that much to you, I’ll make sure he doesn’t make another one,” Hunter said as he vanished the pieces with magic. “There’s still a few hours before the unicorns expect us for breakfast. Why don’t you get some more rest?” I nodded and climbed back in to bed.

Hunter created a portal for Carl to send him back home. “Tell Bree I miss her,” I called to him as he left. He promised he would. Hunter sat in the chair by my desk.

“I have some work to catch up on. You sleep, I’ll keep watch,”

“Are you sure?” I hesitated. I would let him into my bed, even though I was still fragile around the edges. He nodded.

“I have to report to Maester Wright,” he reminded me. “Don’t worry, it’ll be ok,” he promised. I nodded, trusting him and laid down to take a nap until the unicorns expected us to be up and social.


	9. Chapter 9

Hunter woke me at a much more reasonable hour than dawn. He also thankfully did this by having his phone’s alarm go off than by shaking me awake. I groaned, but sat up, shoving my stupid hair out of my face. Hunter chuckled and I glared at him. I needed to get my hair done at some point, but I couldn’t figure out how I wanted it. Kieran had liked it long. I should chop it all off, but it was so practical to be able to tie it out of my way, which is what I was going to do today. I rolled out of bed, kissed Hunter sleepily on the cheek, and ducked into the bathroom to change and get ready for the day. I still wasn’t feeling 100% and dressed accordingly: full length jeans, even though it was August, sensible gym shoes, and a tank top with a gauzy long sleeved overshirt. Hunter looked concerned when he saw my outfit.

“Are you ok?” he asked. I nodded. I reached for my magic to make a personal shield for myself, but it was still tapped. My magic tornado yesterday had drained me more than I thought. I hoped after I got some food it would start to come back faster. I had enough to shift forms, but not much else.

“I’ll be ok,” I told him. He didn’t look convinced.

“You’re wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt in the middle of August,” he reminded me. I sighed.

“I’m just feeling a little unsteady. I don’t want another magic storm because someone takes me off guard. Shifters are so...touchy.” He nodded at that. It was common knowledge that shapeshifters liked physical contact. I was ok back home where I knew everyone and was comfortable with them. I hadn’t realized how hard this trip was going to be, being around so many strangers.

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” he told me. I nodded. I went over and hugged him. He was warm and safe and hugging him was safe, especially when I initiated it. He also still hadn’t found his shirt, which made it even better. “We should head downstairs soon if we want breakfast before the unicorns come to teach you,”

“You need a shirt for that,” I reminded him. He chuckled as I let him go.

“I’ll go change. Wait here for me?” he asked. I nodded and sat down at my desk to check my email. Sanguis sent me a message that the master vampire I had met last night arrived for reeducation. I sent him a reply explaining what had happened and what I needed from him. I also promised to come to the castle at the end of our trip to see how things were going. I really didn’t like leaving the vampires so long when I was so new to ruling them.

“Ready?” Hunter asked me from the doorway to my room. I looked up to see him dressed for the day and waiting. I stood and grabbed my phone. I had become way too dependent on the thing too quickly. I nodded.

“Where’s breakfast?” I asked him as I locked my door behind me.

“Just downstairs. They’re feeding us breakfast here for the week,” he explained. I nodded and took his hand. We walked downstairs hand-in-hand to the little restaurant area of the inn.

“What can I get you two?” the centaur asked us as she came up to our table.

“Do you have pancakes?” I asked her, shyly. I still hadn’t gotten used to speaking up in restaurants, or anywhere really, but I had a craving for pancakes.

“We sure do, Sister,” she replied, eyeing my unicorn horn. I grinned up at her.

“I’d love some pancakes, then,” she smiled and looked at Hunter.

“Pancakes for me too,” he told her. She disappeared in the back to make our breakfasts. “Your magic is still low. Are you sure you ok?”

I nodded again. “I’m fine, Hunter. I hope it’ll come back after I get some food. The tornado took a lot of magic,” I reminded him.

“I’m sorry, I just worry. You haven’t even made a shield,” I blushed and looked away. “You don’t have enough magic for it, do you?” I shook my head. “You should’ve said something.” He held out his hand to me. I took it and felt the power flow from him, refilling some of the power I’d lost in the power storm last night. I used it to create a personal shield and instantly felt safer.

“Thank you,” I told him, still blushing. I was embarrassed that I had needed his help.

“It was nothing. I love you and would do anything to help you,” he reminded me. I smiled at him.

It was only a couple minutes later when our pancakes arrived. They had brought us each a huge pile of them, way more than any sane mortal could have eaten. We ate them all. Shapeshifters had higher metabolisms than normal humans.

Right when we finished eating, Larissa came for us. “Ready for lessons?” she asked as Hunter and I stood to greet her. I nodded, though I was hesitant. I’d had no luck learning how to shapeshift yet. I wasn’t sure how the unicorns were going to help. “Colton is waiting outside for us.” She led us outside to where an alicorn and a centaur were waiting. “We’re going pretty far from the town. We figured you wouldn’t want your lessons to be seen by the rest of the community. Hunter, you can run with us as wolf if you don’t want to ride, or Clara said she’d carry you,” Larissa explained. “Colton will carry you, Adi,” I hesitated.

“He can’t hurt you in unicorn form,” Hunter reminded me. “And I’ll be right there.” I hugged Hunter again before moving towards Colton.

“I don’t know how to ride,” I told him. He shook his head as if that didn’t matter. Hunter gave me a boost and helped me clamber onto Colton’s back. I wrapped my hands in Colton’s mane, scared now that I was up here. It was very high. Hunter and Larissa both shifted forms and Clara the centaur left our group since she wasn’t needed. I wondered briefly why Larissa couldn’t have carried me. She would have been strong enough for it. Instead I was riding a male. I didn’t miss the innuendo there, though I tried to ignore it.

I didn’t have much time to think as Colton took off. I clutched tighter onto his mane and neck, trying not to fall off. For all of my fear, he was extremely careful not to dump me on my butt. I wished desperately for a saddle, but of course that was not an option. I shrieked when Colton spread his wings and we were suddenly in the air. I buried my head in his mane, trying not to look at the ground. I didn’t have my own wings and I was too scared to shift them now. All I could do was hold on and pray he didn’t drop me.

/You’re not going to fall/ he said into my mind. /I won’t let you. I just brought you up here to see the view/ He had slowed down some so we weren’t flying at breakneck speed. I peeked and saw that it was gorgeous up here, but I quickly closed my eyes again and held on to him, praying this would be over quickly. I wanted to be safely back down on the ground.

/Adi!/ I heard Hunter yell from somewhere below and behind us. /I’m going to kill that asshole. Are you ok?/

/I’m alive/I told him. I wasn’t going to claim ok. Not until we were safely on the ground. It wasn’t long before Colton landed in a clearing. I scrambled off of his back, falling hard from the height. I heard something crack in my wrist when I landed wrong. I stood and scrambled farther away from him. /Here, Hunter!/ I called and threw out a tendril of magic to him so he could find me faster. I was shaking from fear.

Colton shifted back to human quickly, though with his unicorn horn and wings. He had also mastered the trick of shifting with clothes, for which even through my fear I was grateful. He stepped closer to me. “Adi? Sister? Are you ok?” he asked. I was huddled in on myself with the strongest shields I could muster around me and a knife in my hand. He held his hands up. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m sorry. I thought it would be fun and maybe romantic to fly us here. I know you’re with that Hunter boy... the queen thought, like all the other tribes, that it was unfair that you had chosen a werewolf before any candidates were offered from the other tribes. You’re the Chosen one.” He was babbling. “I didn’t want to scare you. I’m sorry I scared you. I just thought it would be fun.” I looked up at him, finally relaxing some since I was safely on the ground. I vanished my knife and lowered the extra shields, drawing their power back in to me. Colton wrapped me in a hug. “You’re shaking,” he told me softly. I let him hold me, but stiffly. I didn’t want this. “I’m sorry I scared you. I promise I won’t do it again. And I won’t pressure you for a relationship, no matter what the queen wants. I would never do such a thing. But just know that you don’t have to stay with the wolf if you don’t want to. You don’t owe him anything just because he saved you from that vampire.”

It was then that Hunter burst into the clearing and smashed himself into us, somehow throwing us apart with his body. I stumbled as I was thrown backwards and landed hard again on the wrist that had already made one ugly cracking noise today. I shrieked in pain as Hunter shifted, drawing his weapons at the same moment as he finished the change to his human form. “What is going on here?” Hunter demanded, all snarls and anger.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I have prepared. More will come as I write them

I forced myself to my feet, growling about being injured twice in one day. This record wasn’t boding well for the rest of this trip. I walked up to Hunter and touched him gently on the shoulder. He spun, snarling, to face me. I needed to calm him down before he lost control and shifted. That would be dangerous for all of us. Werewolves had sharp tempers on a good day. I hadn’t realized how on edge Hunter was. I had been too wrapped up in my own emotions of leaving the safety of home.

“I’m safe,” I told Hunter gently. He softened momentarily, then went back to glaring at Colton. I took Hunter’s hand. “He’s a moron, but he didn’t mean any harm. Truly.” I added the last bit when it seemed like Hunter wasn’t going to believe me. Hunter calmed, but still wrapped an arm around me as he turned to face Colton again.

“What’s going on?” he asked more calmly this time.

“I thought it would be fun to fly Princess Adianna here. I did not realize it would be frightening for her,” Colton explained extra formally. “I humbly begged her forgiveness once we arrived safely.” He bowed to Hunter then. “I beg for yours as well.”

“He’s leaving out the part where the rest of the tribes are upset that I chose a werewolf before giving the rest of them a chance to woo me,” I added, since it seemed like Colton wasn’t going to mention that. Hunter snarled softly and hugged me closer to him. I let him.

“I forgive you for scaring us,” Hunter finally said. There was still tension and Colton was on rocky ground. I hoped he would be on his best behavior so he didn’t upset Hunter even more. I was too forgiving for my own good, even after all I’d been through.

“Shall we get to work?” Larissa asked. I hadn’t seen her come in to the clearing. I nodded and stepped out of Hunter’s arms. He let me go reluctantly. “Have you tried shifting all the way to alicorn?” she asked me. I nodded. “Why don’t you try and we’ll see how far you get. That will give us a better idea what we’re working with.” I felt myself turn a deep red. I didn’t want them to see me naked, which was a requirement for shifting until you were _really_ good at it.

Hunter summoned a changing screen and my robe. I laughed at the audacity of a changing screen in the middle of a clearing outside, but we were in the middle of nowhere and Hunter had put up extremely strong shields around the entire clearing. No one was getting in or seeing in. I noticed that the shield was completely opaque too. We were perfectly safe here. Now I just had to trust the people I was here with. That was the hard part. I stepped behind the changing screen. Hunter followed me since he was still holding my robe. “Are you ok with this?” he asked me. I shook my head, fighting back tears and a panic attack. I hugged him, holding him tightly, and probably would have thrown on more clothes if it was possible.

“I can’t do this!” I exclaimed. I really, really couldn’t do this. I couldn’t be naked. I couldn’t be that vulnerable in front of strangers.

“We don’t have to watch you,” Larissa called over the screen. “We’re just here to talk you through it and emotional support,” she reminded me. I still shook, fighting back tears. I heard Colton start to say something, followed quickly by the sound of pain as something, presumably something Larissa shaped, hit him to shut him up.

“I’ll stand guard,” Hunter told me. “I know this is hard. I know what you’ve been through, but I also know that you need to learn how to shapeshift and get control of your powers.” He was gentle, calming, soothing. I knew he was right.

“You’re right,” I told him softly. I looked at the robe in his hands. “I don’t think that will help. Can you get me a blanket instead?” I asked him. I was saving the magic I had for trying to shapeshift. He still had plenty and calling in a blanket wouldn’t tax him. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t tax me either. The robe disappeared from his hands and a comfy quilted blanket appeared in its place. I recognized it at once. It was the one from my bed at home. “Thank you,” I told him. I took the blanket from him and he turned around, giving me privacy for this, for which I was also grateful. I draped the blanket over the changing screen while I stripped. I hated this and it took all of my willpower to manage it. The second I could, I wrapped the blanket around myself. I knew that despite what Larissa said, I would have to go out and face them so they could help me. The blanket was plenty big and smelled like me, Hunter, and home, but it still wasn’t quite enough security when it was all I had against vulnerability. I touched Hunter’s arm. He turned, worried, and looked at me. He took a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets. I understood his reaction. He knew I was naked beneath the blanket. He had seen through my memories everything I had been through with Kieran. He knew _exactly_ what I had been through and how many men had hurt me physically, sexually. He was doing everything in his power to show me that he wouldn’t hurt me, no matter how vulnerable I was.

“What do you need?” he asked gently, carefully.

“We have to go out there,” I motioned with my head to where the others were. “They can’t help unless they can see me and we can actually interact.” I think Larissa had been trying to spare my emotions when she told me otherwise, but intellectually, I knew better. Hunter nodded. He knew it too, but he would have let us try first if it made me feel more comfortable.

“What can I do to help?” he asked, rephrasing his question so I might actually answer it this time.

“Come with me? Guard?” I wasn’t up to asking what I needed in full sentences. I wasn’t sure how to phrase my request. I did well enough, though, because he knew what I asked, what I needed from him. He moved to stand beside me, still at a respectful distance and summoned his sword. I highly doubted he needed a sword for anything, even if something attacked us, but it was a very large obvious weapon and made me feel better that he had it. He gestured for me to lead. I took one hesitant step, then another, making sure the blanket was securely wrapped around me. Hunter walked me back over to the others. I was sure I was beet red and I wouldn’t look either of them in the eye. I did catch Hunter’s glare at them, almost daring one of them to say something just so he could kick their ass for it. It made me feel a lot safer and I was beyond grateful to him for it.


	11. Chapter 11

I made my way back over to the others with Hunter and his giant sword guarding.I kept the blanket wrapped firmly around myself as I walked barefoot in the grass.I hated that we were doing this.I hated that I was naked under the blanket.I hated that this was necessary, but I knew I needed to learn to control my magic, and soon.The only way to do it was to get the help of the various shifter tribes.Colton and Larissa were here now to help me.I needed to accept their help.Hunter was here to guard.He wouldn’t let anything happen to me. 

It was still hard after all I’d been through. 

Colton and Larissa were sitting on a blanket on the grass and gestured for me to join them.I did, hesitantly, kneeling on the blanket as far away from Colton as possible.Hunter stood at my back and I was reassured by his warm presence.Werewolves ran warm and you could feel Hunter from where you knelt though he was out of arms reach of you.He was doing everything in his power to keep you feeling safe.

“So, Sister, how far have you been able to shapeshift?” Larissa asked gently.She was taking point so I didn’t have to focus any of my attention on the boys.I was still tempted to kick Colton out of the clearing.I knew he was here to help. There had to be a reason that the queen sent him instead of someone else.

Besides that she wanted me to date him.

Nope, on second thought that was the exact reason she had sent Colton to help.She had ignored what I’d been through with Kieran and sent the male to ‘help’ me learn to shapeshift.She wanted me to consider him.He’d said as much.

I wasn’t sure I could trust the queen. 

Not after she was ignoring my feelings in preference for her own goals and ambitions.I had a feeling all the other shifter tribes were going to be the exact same way.I was their savior, or so they thought.I didn’t know what I was supposed to save them from.I was just a freak who was somehow a shifter from all of the tribes. 

“Just into a hybrid form,” I told them. “I’ve never been able to shift all the way into any of the shifter forms,” I reminded them.Larissa knew that already.She’d seen my hybrid form.All of the magical people at school had at the beginning of summer before I’d defeated Kieran. 

Larissa nodded.“Have you tried to take full unicorn form?” she asked.I shook my head. 

“I haven’t had reason to,” I admitted softly. 

She nodded with a kind smile.“Why don’t you shift to your hybrid unicorn form and we’ll go from there.” I nodded with a sigh and closed my eyes, summoning my unicorn horn.I heard the smile in Larissa’s voice.“Good, now feel the magic inside.Unicorns are made of magic.We listen to the moon, draw power from the sun.Feel the sun on your skin, there’s magic in the air.Feel the purity and light of the magic,” she instructed. 

I tried to do what she said.I felt the magic in the air. I felt the nature around me.I felt the magic inside, where I always pulled it from to do any magic.It was in a tight ball in my chest, or so it appeared to me.Hunter had been teaching me to pull it inside myself, to control the power.I reached for it now.

“Good, your horn is glowing,” Larissa said softly, her voice soothing. “Call the rest of the unicorn.She’s in there somewhere,” she told me gently.That wasn’t helpful.How was I supposed to call the unicorn out?I knew I had unicorn powers.I had a horn for Pete’s sake. 

I tried. 

I really tried. 

I felt my hair grow longer and thicker, a tail grow, my feet turned to hooves.

And then…

I lost it and panicked.My eyes snapped open and I stared in horror at my hooves.I had hooves in mostly human form. 

Hunter’s hand was on my shoulder, offering comfort.“It’s alright, Adi. Breathe,” he told me gently.I jumped to my feet and hugged him tightly, momentarily forgetting that I was wearing nothing but a blanket.Thankfully it was held in place with magic.Hunter’s arms wrapped around me.He made gentle soothing noises.“It’s alright, it’s alright, love,” he told me softly.“Everyone has trouble shifting forms when they first learn,” he reminded me.“Carl will gladly tell you the story of when I got stuck in wolf form,”

“I have hooves!” I protested with tears in my eyes.

He chuckled.“Excellent job,” he teased.I stopped my panicking and stared up at him incredulously at that statement.He had a teasing, warm, grin on his face.“The point of this exercise is for you to learn to take you full unicorn form.This just proves that you have a full unicorn form,” he reminded me gently.I relaxed in his arms.

“You’re right,” I replied when I could breathe again.Hunter pressed a kiss to the top of my head, careful not to impale himself on your horn. 

“Try again, Adi.You can do it,” he reassured me.I nodded and took a couple of deep breaths before I turned back to Larissa who had stood. 

She gave me a warm smile.“You got this far.Let me help you get the rest of the way,” she implored me.I nodded.There wasn’t anything to lose letting her help.She touched her horn to mine and I could feel the magic pulse between us and with it the knowledge of what it felt like to change forms.I could feel myself changing, through Larissa’s memories.“Feel it? Good.Now try.I’ll change with you,” she promised.I was vaguely aware of the boys turning around to give us privacy.I reached for my magic and followed Larissa’s memories, feeling for the unicorn form.

I finally found it and followed her memories, followed the instructions she had imparted through her magic.I saw the beautiful white unicorn and felt my bones change to match her form.I cried out in pain and heard comforting words from all of my friends.I had lived through worse, especially when Kieran was training me to change forms. I gritted my teeth and dealt with the pain as my body changed.Bones shifted, fur grew, my hands turned to hooves.I fought back the fear and pain and let the change happen.I just had to let it happen.

Just as suddenly as it began, it was over and I was standing on four hooves with Hunter smiling proudly at me.“I knew you could do it,” he told me brightly, running a careful hand down my muzzle. “Congratulations, love!”


End file.
